Ryou Bakura: Beatings
by Nocturnal-Ivy
Summary: Ryou is used to the beatings administered by his Yami. But he doesn't often have to deal with an angry Bakura. Violence and some slight vampirism. Was originally a oneshot but is now multi-chap. XD Is FINALLY complete XD
1. Chapter 1

Ryou released a sharp gasp of pain as he was shoved forcefully into the wall. He felt the cold, sharp bricks scraping against the skin of his arm as he sunk to the floor.  
"Get up!" The words were spat and laced with contempt.  
Ryou placed his hands under him, attempting to push himself up. He fell back to the floor with a cry of pain, he was too weak to get up, too weak to defend himself.  
He screamed in pain when Bakura kicked him square in the chest, leaving him gasping for air.  
"How did I ever get stuck with someone as worthless as you for a hikari! You are an insult!" Bakura turned and walked from the room as his hikari lay on the floor choking and sore.  
Ryou felt hot tears stream down his face at his yami's words. He didn't cry from the beatings anymore. He was too used to them, frequent as they were. It was the insults his yami sent his way that hurt the most, the constant reminders that he was weak and worthless to his yami. Even though Bakura mistreated him and constantly told him of his hate, usually before he acted on it, Ryou still felt an attachment to him. He didn't love him or entertain the dillusion that the two of them could be friends, no, it was a deep feeling. An indescribable feeling. Ryou felt that Bakura understood him, the way that no-one else could. Whenever Bakura was around, even when beating his hikari, Ryou didn't feel so alone.  
Ryou regained control of his breathing and shakily climbed to his feet, grunting with the pain that coursed through his entire body. He stumbled back to his room, which was, thankfully, only a few metres away and fell onto his bed. He sobbed gently into his pillow, letting the emotion engulf him and he cried himself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Next Day

Ryou timidly crossed the threshold of the apartment he shared with his yami. He listened for any sign of Bakura, there were none. Breathing a sigh of relief, he ran to the fridge in order to make his dinner before Bakura came home from, whatever he was doing. Ryou shuddered as thoughts of what his psychotic yami could be doing, crept into his head.  
After he had eaten his dinner and washed up the traces, Ryou ran to his room and chose a book to take his mind off the inevitable attacks, verbal and physical.  
It was only 10 minutes before Bakura burst into the apartment and began shouting for Ryou.  
"Hikari!" A brief pause. "RYOU!"  
The door of the hikari's bedroom burst open with unbelievable force, one that threatened to rip it from its hinges. Bakura was angry. Not just his usual I-hate-humans-and-like-to-kick-fluffy-things-for-fun kind of angry. He was really angry.  
"YOU WORTHLESS BRAT! YOU ANSWER WHEN I CALL FOR YOU!" Bakura was practically screaming into Ryou's face.  
"I'm sorr-" The hikari began but was cut short by a forceful slap from the yami. He spat the blood from his mouth, a motion that earned him another slap from Bakura.  
Bakura grabbed the boy's throat and forced him backward into the wall. Ryou cried out in pain as his head slammed sharply against the wall. Bakura tightened his grip on Ryou's throat and lifted him into the air, his legs kicking helplessly. Ryou began to feel dizzy as the oxygen was cut off from his brain. However, before he could pass out, Bakura released his grip, causing the hikari to fall to the floor as he had so many times before.  
As Ryou gulped down the air gratefully, Bakura pulled something from his pocket.  
Ryou looked up and his eyes widened as he saw the dagger in Bakura's hand.  
'Oh dear God!' He thought to himself. 'This is the end! He's finally going to kill me!'  
Bakura crouched next to Ryou, grinning evilly. The hikari was still dizzy from lack of oxygen and was defenceless to Bakura's wishes.  
Bakura's grin broadened when he noticed the fear deep in the eyes of his defenceless hikari. He reached forward and gripped Ryou's hair tightly causing the boy to gasp in pain. 'Come on head, darn you! Clear! I have to get away before he kills me!' Ryou thought frantically.  
Bakura brought the knife to the boy's left arm, dragging it across the pale skin, looking up in time to see Ryou flinch with the pain, Bakura smirked.  
Ryou gasped again when he realised that Bakura was sucking at the cut on his arm, drinking his blood. The boy began clawing desperately at the yami. Bakura merely tugged sharply on Ryou's hair, causing the hikari to shout out.  
Bakura raised his head from Ryou's arm to stare deeply into the boy's fear filled eyes. No tears. Perhaps the hikari wasn't as worthless as he had originally thought. Bakura sliced at the boy's arm again, leaving a much longer cut. He leant down and licked up the blood, lifting his head when he felt Ryou shudder.  
"What's the matter hikari?" Brown eyes with a red tint tormented deep chocolate brown eyes, filled with innocence and fear. "Want me to stop, Ryou?" Bakura grinned malisciously. "Want it all to stop?"  
He tipped the boy's head back by pulling on his hair and dragged the blade sharply across Ryou's throat before standing and walking away, chuckling darkly.  
Ryou's hand shot to his throat and his eyes widened even more, if that was indeed possible, on discovery of no blood.  
Bakura had run the flat of the blade across his throat. He hadn't killed him.  
Ryou stared at the door, through which his yami had exited. 'But why?'


	2. Sequel sort of

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! X3 Here is the sequel, well not exactly sequel. Well it is, since it happens afterwards but...oh to hell with it, my head hurts! DX**

**Anyway, hope you like :)**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A fierce storm swept through the city, rain hammering heavily against the thin windows of the small apartment block, the force beginning to bend the glass.

Bakura sat in the softly furnished living room, legs dangling over the side of the pale, cream-coloured armchair. He was sharpening the knife he'd stolen from the museum. It was solid silver, a detailed image of Diabound engraved intio the blade. The hilt was enlaid with the same golden eye that decorated the millenium items. Bakura knew that the knife had been designed from his legend, on the back of the blade his name had been carved into the silver.

He ceased his actions as the front door opened slowly. Ryou entered cautiously, glancing around timidly. Upon catching sight of Bakura in the armchair, a silver knife gripped in his hands, Ryou let out a small squeak, shoved the door shut and bolted to his room.

Bakura chuckled darkly. The hikari had been too petrified to be in the same room as Bakura after the yami had "almost" slit his throat, two weeks previous.

Bakura stood, stretching his arms above his head. He sighed and forced himself towards Ryou's bedroom. His hand stretched forward to take hold of the cold, brass doorhandle, his grip on the knife tightening. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

Instead of seeing Ryou in his usual position, slumped on the bed reading some novel, he was greeted by the sight of his hikari huddled into a corner, staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. He whimpered as he noticed Bakura's knuckles whitening as the yami instinctively tightened his hold on the silver dagger.

'Damn it Ryou!' The yami mentally cursed the shivering hikari.

Bakura tucked the knife into his belt and slowly advanced on Ryou, the smaller teen attempt to shrink further into the wall. Bakura paused.

Shaking his head, he stepped forward and grasped Ryou by the front of his shirt, lifting him clean from the floor, his legs dangling limply in the air. Ryou whimpered again.

"Stop making that infuriating noise!" Bakura snapped, a cruel expression on his face. Ryou winced, his face screwing up in fear and apprehension.

Bakura shoved him backwards, his head slamming against the wall, dazing him.

"Come now _hikari_, you should have known I wouldn't leave you to hide pitiously in your room forever." Bakura's dark expression changed to an evil grin, fangs glinting in the dim light. He leant forward to whisper in Ryou's ear. "I love hearing you scream too much for that."

Ryou's eyes widened before he screwed them shut again.

Bakura growled and threw him to the floor. "Open your eyes!"

Ryou curled into a ball.

Bakura swooped down on him, siezing the pale hair and tugging Ryou's face from the ground. "I SAID OPEN YOUR EYES YOU PATHETIC MORTAL!"

Ryou opened his eyes a small amount, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

Bakura glared at him before reaching around his back and pulling the knife free of the belt. He held the flat of the cold blade against Ryou's left eyelid. The hikari instinctively screwed his eyes shut again.

Bakura raised the knife and slashed at his cheek. "I TOLD YOU TO OPEN YOUR EYES! NOW KEEP THEM OPEN OR I'LL REMOVE THEM AND GIVE THEM TO THE PHAROAH AS A REMINDER THAT I'M STILL AROUND!"

Ryou opened his eyes and stared pleadingly into Bakura's own dark orbs. Bakura smirked asnd dropped him. "Good. I would advise that you don't disobey me again." With a cruel leer, he turned and swept from the room.

He swept toward the front door, pulled it open and slamed it shut again before melting into the shadows.

After a few minutes, Ryou, thinking Bakura had left the apartment, crept slowly from his room. He glanced around the apartment, checking to make sure Bakura had left. Finding no sign of Bakura, he sprang towards the front door. "I've got to get out! I'll go to Yugi's, the Pharoah will be able to help me!"

As he reached for the door handle, he slipped on the wooden floor and crashed, not into the front door but into a body. He fell back onto the floor with a thump.

Bakura stepped out of the shadows, a cold glare on his face. "Going somewhere Ryou?"

Ryou's eyes widened and he shuffled backwards, trying to get as far away from the psychotic yami as possible.

Bakura quickly caught up with him, slamming his foot down on Ryou's ankle with a sickening crunch.

The scream tore itself from Ryou's throat before he could even think of stifling it.

"I know you were Ryou. I heard you. I heard you talking about the Pharoah." Bakura's face was stone, however, the mad glimmer in his eyes gave away his true intentions.

Ryou shook his head frantically. "No...no I...wouldn't..." He breathed.

Bakura fell to his knees and slapped him, the force leaving a vivid, red stain on his pale cheek. "DON'T LIE TO ME!"

He siezed the hikari by his collar, lifting him so that his torso hung in the air while his legs remained planted on the ground.

Bakura glared into the wide eyes of his hikari before releasing the grip on his collar, letting him fall back to the floor, his head smashing against the hard wood.

Bakura drew his knife again, grabbing hold of Ryou's left arm. He traced the scar that had been left from the incident two weeks ago. Ryou screamed again.

Bakura forced him onto his front, the knife slicing open his shirt. The yami grinned wildly as he began carving into Ryou's back. Every line was deep, blood pouring copiously down the boy's sides.

Bakura sat back and admired the large 'B'' adorning his hikari's back, he leant down and blew against the cuts.

Ryou hissed at the burning sensation.

Bakura smirked and flipped him again, raising the knife to carve into Ryou's chest as well.

Ryou groaned as the cuts slammed against the floor. He kept his eyes shut, waiting for the familiar burning sensation of Bakura marking his skin. Nothing came.

Ryou cautiously opened his eyes and found Bakura staring, wide-eyed at him.

Bakura stared in horror at the boy beneath him. He was paler than ever and so thin, his skin was stretched taut over protruding ribs. Looking back at Ryou's face, he noticed that the hikari's cheeks were sunken and his lips were tinged a pale blue.

Bakura dropped the knife and stormed from the house, slamming the heavy door behind him.

Ryou crawled over to Bakura's armchair and curled up behind it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rain was still hammering down when Bakura left the apartment. Within moments his shirt and jeans were soaked through, his bangs plastered to his face, blurring his vision.

'Clearly I went too far last time.' He thought to himself. The images of Ryou's emaciated body still swam in his mind.

He dropped to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. 'Oh Ra! What have I done?! If he dies, then I'll be trapped in the ring for another 5,000 years before some other foolish mortal finds it!'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryou lay, curled in a small ball, staring at the front door, fearing Bakura's return. He made no sound and scarcely blinked, too afraid Bakura would appear in that short moment and finish what he had begun.

When the door finally swung open, it was well after the hall clock had announced midnight. Ryou curled up tighter, hoping for the shadows to sieze him and take him away from Bakura. Or at least conceal him until someone could find him.

"Ryou?" Bakura asked. Ryou nervously eyed the thin package in his hands, the shadows of the room concealed any identifying features.

"Ryou! Ra damn it where are you?" Bakura yelled into the dark room. Ryou curled again but brushed against the legs of the armchair, causing it to scrape against the floor.

Bakura appeared a moment later. "Ryou! What the hell are you doing?"

Ryou stared, eyes wide and fearful.

Bakura sighed and placed the thin package at Ryou's side, rising from the floor and heading to his room. The door slammed.

Ryou eyed the package nervously. A familiar scent filled his nose. He reached over and carefully pulled the lid from the package. Four fat cream puffs sat in the box. The tempting scent of his favourite snack causing his malnourished stomache to growl. He stared at the dark corridor through which Bakura had vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura sat on the windowsill, arms crossed over his chest. 'I don't care. I don't care. I do NOT care. I don't care. I care. DAMNIT!'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Ok I know Bakura was heading a bit OOC there at the end. But in my defence, he DOES care about Ryou, granted that's only because he needs Ryou's body but the point is that he does actually care.**

**And I know that, considering the ring is now in Japan, it wouldn't take 5,000 years for someone else to find the ring but I thought I would put that in so that Bakura needs Ryou. Otherwise he would just get rid of him and find a new host and I like Ryou too much! Seriously, who can resist those adorable puppy eyes?! X3 (Or in the case of season 0, those really really sexy green eyes *brain melts*)**

**The authoress is now a vegetable but hey, at least you got the story before that happened XD**


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three weeks since Ryou had last laid eyes on Bakura. The yami had always either been out of the apartment or sealed in his room.

Not that Ryou was complaining. He was back at a healthy weight and his wounds had healed, though the 'B' that had been carved into his back was still there. He had almost forgotten that the former tomb robber still lived with him.

Curling up on the sofa, the copy of the Marquis De Sade, that he was supposed to analyse for his alternative literature class, in his hand, Ryou sighed contentedly.

His peace was interrupted when a door slammed in the hallway, footsteps approaching at a hurried pace. Ryou felt his jaw drop as Bakura rounded the corner. He looked a mess.

His hair was greasy, hanging limply about his face, his bangs, almost but not quite, hiding the dark shadows that rested under his eyes.

Bakura didn't look at Ryou as he swept through the front door, slamming it heavily behind him.

Ryou just sat staring, mouth agape, at the door through which Bakura had vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The streets of Domino were practically deserted, as would be expected at 1:00 am, with only the occasional whore or club-goer wandering the streets.

Bakura kept to the shadowed back alleys, casting contempuous looks at the people on the main street. It had begun to rain gently as he reached the park.

The scream of a woman reached his ears as he sat on a small bench near the large pond, faint yet loud enough to be pinpointed to two or three streets away.

"You look like shit."

Bakura growled. The voice was familiar.

"What do you want Tomb Keeper?" He hissed in response.

"iEx/i Tomb Keeper. We were out for a walk and I recognised your head of, strangely, unkempt, hair." Malik smirked, sitting beside the irritated Tomb Robber and running a hand through his own, soft, blond locks.

Bakura glanced around as another familiar figure arrived out of the shadows. His blond hair was spiked in a precise yet chaotic fashion. His gleaming bronze skin was soaked in crimson blood, as was his deep blue shirt and the golden rod clasped in his hand. Grinning in a criminally insane fashion, he brought the gold rod to his lips and licked the crimson from the surface of the, usually concealed, dagger. Still grinning his spine-chilling grin, he dragged the body of a young woman out from behind the bushes and began arranging the heavy limbs.

Marik ignored the scene in front of them. "So what's with the grungy look? Lose a bet?"

Bakura growled.

Marik snickered. "Or, could it be that little Ryou has gotten to you?"

Bakura shot him a warning look. The kind that screams, 'If-you-open-your-mouth-again-I-will-shove-my-hand-in-there-pull-out-your-tongue-and-make-you-wear-it-as-a-necktie!'

Marik smirked. "What's the matter 'Kura? Is the mighty, ruthless, Bakura going soft over a brat?" He missed the feral growl emitting through Bakura's clenched teeth. "You know, it's ok to care abo-"

Malik's thought was cut short as Bakura's hand wrapped itself around his throat and lifted him from the bench.

"Let me make this crystal clear, iMalik/i," the name was hissed, Malik had to strain his ears to hear it, "I CARE ABOUT iNOTHING!/i" Bakura's voice thundered through Malik's head as he was dropped to the ground. He looked up in time to see Bakura's white hair disappear round a corner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryou washed his face. He had vomited.

"God! How can anyone take pleasure in i_that_/i?"

Shaking the images from his mind he straightened to check his reflection. His heart skipped a beat. It wasn't his face staring out from the mirror. The soft, white hair was spiked upwards, the eyes were dull and framed by dark shadows. He screwed his eyes shut and waited to feel Bakura's hand wrap around his throat. After a minute of nothing, Ryou cracked one eye open and sighed, seeing the reflection peeking through one eye also. It i_was_/i his reflection. Ryou sighed again, he was a mess.

"Maybe a good night's sleep can fix this." He muttered to himself.

Tunring to walk from the room, he found Bakura stood behind him, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed in warning. Ryou whimpered and tried to run from the room. Bakura's hand snapped out like a rocket and siezed the boy's thin wrist in a vice-like grip. He pulled the arm behind Ryou's back, forcing the boy to the ground. Ryou gasped as Bakura viciously twisted his arm.

Grinning his usual psychotic grin, Bakura dragged the smaller male along the hall and into his room. Ryou's eyes widened in horror. The walls of Bakura's room were coated in varying kinds of weaponry. Though it was obvious that knoves were Bakura's choice favourite. Chains draped from rusted hooks and an assortment of what could only be museum artifacts littered the ground. Bakura released Ryou's arm and grabbed the boy by the throat, slamming him into the wall in the same fashion as his other the boy to the ground Bakura instantly kicked him in the stomach, forcing all the oxygen to leave his lungs. Ryou lay, choking and gasping, waiting for Bakura's next blow. It came in the form of a mace, studded with small bumps instead of vicious spikes, slamming into his spine, not hard enough to break any bones but hard enough to force his head to slam into the ground, effectively dazing him.

A heavy thud reached Ryou's ears, Bakura must have dropped the mace. He heard a soft clinking but could not identify the source and so he stayed frozen still with his eyes screwed tightly shut.

"I'll give you two minutes to run." Bakura's voice was emotionless.

Ryou didn't move. Was it a trick?

Bakura scoffed. "You can stay if you wish, you'll just die faster."

Ryou scrambled to his feet with difficulty. He staggered towards the doorway. He'd only taken four steps when something wrapped around his ankles. Bakura yanked on the chain, pulling Ryou's feet out from under him and causing the boy to come crashing heavily to the ground.

Ryou groaned, he couldn't see. Though he felt it when the foot connected with his ribs, stamping down on them. He also felt the hands fisting in his hair, forcing him to his feet. Bakura forced him to the wall and ripped his shirt open, pulling the collar up so that Ryou's arms hung uselessy by his head. Bakura siezed a dagger from the wall and embedded it in the fabric of the shirt, pinning Ryou in place, leaving him hanging like a hunk of flesh at a butchers. Ryou blinked, images swirling in front of his eyes. He felt the searing pain and saw the glint of silver as Bakura brought a dagger flying past his face, it's ice-cold blade slicing into the pale skin of his cheek. The hot blood poured down his cheek to mingle, on his neck, with the blood flowing from the wound in his head that had been caused by his head slamming into the floorboards and temporarily blinding him.

The bloade Bakura was using was a small, silver dagger he had stolen from the National Gallery when Bakura had still lived in England. It was no thicker than a ruler.

It was this dagger that he buried into Ryou's left wrist, nailing it to the wall.

Ryou's scream was a sound he'd never expected to come from the boy. It displayed such pain, such suffering, such i_betrayal_/i.

Blinking away the tears that were pouring from his eyes, Ryou glanced imploringly at Bakura. His vision was still blurry but he could see that Bakura was looking anywhere but his eyes.

Bakura growled, not only could he not look Ryou in the eyes, he was trying deperately not to look at Ryou's displayed chest, the blood from his head and cheek mingling to stream down the left side of his chest.

Without a word to the now sobbing boy, Bakura swept from the room and thundered down the stairs. The door slammed as he stepped out into the dark and rain-soaked night of Domino City.

**bMerrrrrrr! :/ It's 10:10, I'm bored, have spent practically the entire day in bed, have eaten more chocolate than is humanly advisable and I'm now sitting here eating a carrot XD **

**Moving on, It was requested that I carry on with this and I thank all who have stuck with ickle Ryou :) (Hmmm, apparently carrots make me horribly corny XD) **

**A.N: For the purpose of this fic (and because I have no clue which names people use for which Marik) Malik is the Hikari and Marik is the Yami./b**


	4. Chapter 4

Malik sighed to himself, his foot tapping an unsteady beat on the hard ground as he waited for Marik to return from his, iouting/i.

The rain had slowed but that didn't mean he was any more willing to stand in it and wait for Marik. Shooting an angry glare skywards, Malik turned and shuffled his feet in an attempt to wake the sleeping nerves.

A clap of thunder rumbled overhead and the rain became heavier again. Malik thrusted his hands into his pockets and scowled.

"Damn it Marik. I'm not waiting for you in this!" The tanned teen stepped out of the shadowed alley only to be shoved backwards by a figure rushing past him.

Shaking off the surprise, Malik followed the man.

"Bakura! Bakura wait!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryou whimpered, tears still running down his cheeks. The pain in his shoulders had increased tenfold since Bakura had left him pinned to the wall.

His skin was ghostly pale but for the vivid slap mark Bakura had left.

The blood covering his chest was beginning to congeal, inhibiting any slight movement he made. Though every movement sent jolts of pain shooting through his left arm, the thin dagger still buried in his wrist, luckily having missed any major blood vessels.

Ryou's breathing became laboured as darkness began to seep into the edges of his vision, his head feeling uncomfortably light.

"Ba...ku..ra." The strained whisper seared his throat as his world faded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Bakura where are you going?!" Malik's throat was beginning to get sore from shouting after the infuriating yami. "Stop ignoring me damnit!"

The young Egyptian crashed into a Bakura's back as the yami stopped without warning.

Bakura wheeled around, fixing Malik with one of his most irritated glares yet. "What the fuck do you want you irritating little shit?"

Taken aback, Malik merely blinked at Bakura. Recovering from the shock of the yami's irritated yell, Malik smirked.

"Well, what's gotten your ring in a twist?"

Bakura glared at him again before spinning and taking off once again.

Sighing, Malik jogged back to Bakura's side. "Ok sorry. But what's up? Seriously, I've never seen you ithis/i worked up." Malik glanced down. "And what the hell happened to your hand? You punch a concrete block or something?"

Bakura raised his right hand, examining it. The flesh was raw, chunks were even hanging off it in places. Blood was smeared everywhere, it had even run down his arm, staining the torn sleeve of his blue shirt.

Malik noticed the thoughtful, almost serene expression on Bakura's face and sighed. The yami was really messed up.

Speaking of messed up yamis.

"Hey Bakura, you didn't haooen to see Marik anywhere did you? I've been waiting for him for three hours."

Bakura re-entered reality immediately. "Where did you leave him?" He ground out.

Malik blinked. "The street next to the alley I was standing in. He disappeared around some houses. Why?"

Bakura didn't answer, his expression grave.

"Fuck." Malik barely heard Bakura's mutter before the unpredictable yami was tearing back up the street they'd walked down. Malik raced after him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A smirk crossed the tanned face as he lifted a hand to brush blood-stained, snowy bangs from a swollen cheek.

He allowed himself a dark chuckle.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malik's chest burned. He hadn't realised how far he'd followed Bakura. They'd been running for a good ten minutes at least with no break.

Bakura refused to relent and slow down. The yami was burning with a form of determination that Malik couldn't place.

Suddenly Bakura veered left down another alley. It was all Malik could do to force himself to skid and slow down before turning left to follow Bakura.

The snowy-haired psychopath thundered to the end of the alley before crashing through the door to the apartment he shared with Ryou, not bothering to unlock it, though Malik knew he had keys.

Malik followed him in and charged up the stairs, seeing Bakura dash into a room, himself following a moment later.

Malik stopped and bent forward, gulping in lungfuls of air, his throat burning and chest flexing erratically.

Lifting his eyes his mouth fell open.

Ryou, pinned to the wall by a knife in his shirt and a blade embedded in his left wrist. Almost every inch of Ryou's pale flesh was purple from bruising or stained crimson with his blood. Malik noticed the younger boy's chest wasn't moving at all.

"Bakura. What- what have you done to him?" Malik's question came out as a whisper as he turned, wide eyed, to face the yami.

Bakura was striding around the room, searching the wardrobe, checking under the bed, shoving his head out the window.

Seemingly satisfied, Bakura stepped over to Ryou, checking the boy's pulse.

"He's alive." He concluded and pulled his hand away from the boy's neck.

Malik noticed Bakura's fingers ghost over the pale cheek.

Bakura turned to Malik. "I'm going out to look for your yami. Watch Ryou."

With that he was gone, whipping out of the room and storming down the stairs, passing the busted door with a contempuous look.

Malik stepped over to Ryou, his eyes frozen wide in horror. "What has he done to you?"

He looked the younger male up and down, assessing his injuries, before something caught his eye. The blood on Ryou's stomach was smudged. Fingertips studded the boy's pale chest. 'How did Bakura not notice? Wait! Marik iis/i here!'

"BAKU-" Malik spun to chase after Bakura yet being halted in his tracks by the sight of Marik standing in the bedroom doorway, the rod clasped in his sturdy grip.

"Marik. What are you doing here?" Malik took an involuntary step back. He knew the look in his yami's eyes. Bloodlust.

The deep chuckle echoed through the room. "Hello to you too Hikari." That infuriating smirk made Malik's guts churn in rage.

"You are not touching Ryou! Don't you dare lay a hand on him!"

Marik laughed this time, loudly. "I'll only be as bad as Bakura has been to him." His smirk widened to an insane grin. "Or maybe I'll be worse, depends how long the kid lasts." He laughed again.

Malik stepped forward. "I mean it Marik. You're not to lay a finger on him!"

"Too late Hikari. Haven't you seen his chest?"

Malik silently qualied as Marik took another step forward. He didn't notce the lunge as Marik swiftly punched, effectively dazing him.

The yami pulled Malik up by his shirt, shoving him in the wardrobe and jamming the door shut, before turning on Ryou, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

'Oh good. I will get to hear his screams after all.' Even a genuine smile was warped on his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura was beginning to think Marik was no longer in the vicinity. He'd circeld the area three times so unless the psychotic creature was following him, highly unlikely, he was wasting his time out here when he could be fixing the effects of his anger.

As the rain continued to hammer down on the dimly lit streets and thunder crashed overhead, he was sure he heard a shrill shriek, somewhere nearby.

Turning on his heels, he sped back towards the apartment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryou thrashed, the pain jolting through him making him want to vomit. Which he did.

Ryou used his uninjured arm to wipe the remains from his mouth when he felt a weight above him, causing the mattress to sink.

He forced brown eyes open and colours swam above him, predominantly tan and gold with a speck of pure lilac. 'Malik?'

As his vision focused, Ryou realised he was so close but so much more wrong than he wanted to be. Chocolate orbs widened in terror. 'Marik!'

The smirking lips inches above his own shot terror through him and chills along his spine.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malik's eyes opened slowly. His head was killing him. He tried to pull an arm up to rub his eyes but instead whacked an elbow into something solid.

"Shit!"

Blinking furiously, he took in his surroundings. 'I'm in, the wardrobe?'

Confusion charged through him. 'What am I- SHIT! Ryou!'

Felling around with his fingers, he found the crack of the door. It was an inch or two to his right.

He tried to push himself around with his foot but succeeded only in smashing his knee off a wall.

"Fuck!"

Shuffling, he eventually managed to align his back with the door and began to push.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marik grinned at the banging noises, followed by curses, coming from the wardrobe.

He turned his eyes back to Ryou and saw the boy had closed his eyes, scrunching them up in fear.

'Oh I wanted to watch his fear. Oh well.'

Marik bent his head and lined his lips with Ryou's ear.

"Bakura's sure put you through the works hasn't he little Ryou?"

Brown eyes opened, only to release bitter tears.

With a smirk of satisfaction, Marik crashed his lips to the hikari's, thrusting his tongue into the unwilling mouth. Ryou's eyes widened in shock before closing to produce more tears, his slim body shaking with sobs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malik cursed. The door refused to budge.

The tanned boy winced at a particularly loud whimper from Ryou.

He knew what his yami was capable of. He didn't just hurt people, he ibroke/i them.

He idestroyed/i them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura cursed as his feet slid out from under him, his body crashing to the ground with a thud.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marik gripped the knife he'd left in Ryou's wrist when he pulled him from the wall, twisting it. Ryou whimpered, loudly before screaming as Marik yanked the blade from his wrist, blood spurting onto the sheets.

Marik grasped you's shirt, yanking it from his arms and relishing in the pained yelps that escaped Ryou's bruised lips.

He ran his fingers down the boy's sides, teasing him with feather-light touches before digging his nails in and raking them down the boy's creamy flesh.

Ryou screamed as red welts formed, some oozing a little blood.

Marik grinned, lowering his head to lick the scratches, his saliva stinging the boy.

He noticed the familiar signs of someone shutting down their mind and ceased his torture. He didn't want to break his toy yet. He had something else to do first.

With a sinister grin, he tore the trousers from Ryou's legs, discarding the boy's underwear immediately after.

Ryou's eyes shot open as he was roughly flipped and shoved forward into the headboard, the thick wood digging into his chest. His mind couldn't process what was happening.

iMarik couldn't be about to-!/i

Marik unbuttoned his own, khaki trousers before placing his hands onto smooth thighs, gently forcing them apart.

He settled himself behind Ryou, when his gaze fell upon the boy's back.

A large 'B' was carved there. The scars still in the process of turning white.

His grin widened.

"So Bakura has marked you." Ryou gasped as realisation dawned.

Marik shuffled behind him, running hands over the 'B' shaped scar on his back.

"Though I think he has yet to claim you. What a shame you'll be broken before he can."

Ryou screwed his eyes shut, salty tears still seeping through closed lids.

"Get away from him."

Ryou's eyes shot open at the growled command. He raised his head to see Bakura, the tormentor of his life, standing in the doorway, isaving/i him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marik's eyes widened. That was Bakura's voice. He came back!

The teen almost exploded with relief and continued his assault on the wardrobe door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura ignored the banging noises coming from the wardrobe as he narrowed his eyes at Marik, kneeling behind a naked Ryou, his trousers around his knees.

"If you've touched him-"

Marik interrupted him. "Well I was getting there." He shook his head. "Though I was interrupted. Really, no privacy these days."

Bakura was shaking with anger, a fact that Marik was oh-so-happy to see.

Standing and pulling up his trousers, he grinned at the furious, white-haired yami.

"Fine, let;s get this over with. i don't like leaving my toys too long before I break them. Though you'd started that for me." He chuckled.

The sound grated Bakura's ears and he flew at Marik, placing a solid punch in his gut.

Despite the rock-hard abdomen muscles the yami had, he was winded. He choked before launching an attack of his own at Bakura.

Being the more agile of the two, Bakura easily dodged, placing another punch into Marik's stomach and launching a kick at his face.

Marik reeled backwards. As Bakura came forward for another attack, he caght the fist aimed at his nose and thrust his own into Bakura's face, slamming the yami back into the wall.

Bakura may be the more agile but Marik was the stronger of the two. they would both have to play to their advantage in order to win.

Bakura ducked the kick sent at his head, Marik's foot slamming into the wall, shaking out plaster and embedding cracks into the white wall.

Bakura punched up into Marik's chest before dancing around behind him to slash him in the back with a knife he'd retrieved from the wall.

Marik yelled at the sharp burn and spun to attack Bakura but found the white-haired assailant gone.

Bakura slashed at Marik's thigh before climbing to his feet and slashing the Egyptian's arm.

He didn' dodge quickly enough this time, as Marik's fist caught him around the head, dazing him momentarily.

Marik sent another kick into Bakura's chest, forcing him to crash into another wall, his spine letting out a sharp crack.

Bakura leapt forward to attack again.

"Bakura!"

Bakura glanced to Ryou at his shout, the boy's face was growing paler by the minute, blood sliding out from between his lips.

Malik came tumbling out of the wardrobe as the door gave way.

Ryou screamed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura's mind didn't immediately register the sharp pain in his throat, nor the feeling of warm liquid trailing down his neck.

It wasn't until Ha glanced down to see tanned fingers clasped around a long thin pole, the millenium rod, that he understood.

Marik had stabbed him in the neck with the millenium rod as he looked at Ryou.

Glancing again at his hikari, Bakura tried to mouth the words "I'm sorry" as his vocal chords had been rendered useless.

Another sharp pain grabbed his attention, somewhere in his chest. Glancing down he noticed Marik was using his knife collection to pin him to the wall.

With an agonised yell Malik hurtled at his yami, clutching onto his arm in an attempt to pull him from Bakura.

Marik's expression immediately became one of sheer annoyance as he seized Malik around the throat.

Knoowing he was more valuable alive, Marik merely settled for flinging the boy against the wall, effectively knocking him unconscious and preventing any firther interruptions from him.

Marik grunted at the blood spatter his hikari's head left on the white wall.

Turning back to Bakura, he noticed Ryou clinging to the yami's waist, tears streaming down his face.

Bakura's arms were wrapped around the boy, the yami smiling weakly down at him as the boy sobbed into his chest.

Marik's grin turned dark.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Striding towards the two, marik picked up two more knives.

He yanked Bakura's arms away from the boy and pinned them to the wall with the knives, the same way bakura had pinned Ryou.

Bakura tried to hold in the agonised yelps as Ryou's whimpers became screams.

The snow-haired yami lifted his eyes to Marik, only to see that his trousers were around his ankles and he was taking position behind Ryou, the hikari frozen in fear.

Bakura stared in horror as Marik smirked in him. The smirk became a pleasured groan as he forced himself into Ryou, slamming the hikari against Bakura.

Bakura screwed his eyes shut, wishing he could block his ears from Ryou's screams of agony, knowing they were the last things he'd hear as he slowly bled to death, his hikari being slammed against his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

Heavy eyelids twitched before opening slowly. The boy groaned, lifting a hand to the back of his head. It came away stained with blood.

Malik adjusted the position of his body and slowly pushed himself up with his arms. The sharp jolt in his skull forced him to slam back onto the wooden floor.

"Urrrgh." Groaning, he pushed himself up again. Once he'd reached a sitting position he glanced around the room.

Blood stained the walls and floor, numerous knives sticking haphazardly out of the plaster. The Millennium Rod lay abandoned on the ground a couple of feet away. Malik shuffled over to pick it up, his grip almost failing as the blood, staining its surface, caused his hand to slip.

Dark thoughts ran through his mind as he clasped the Millennium Rod.

His head snapped up as he remembered the happenings of the evening.

Eyes darting around the room his gaze locked onto a horrific sight. He dragged himself to his feet and stumbled towards Bakura. His body was pinned to the wall, his arms pinned either side of his head, a sad reflection of what the crazed yami had done to Ryou. Irony was a cruel thing.

"Wait, Ryou! Where's Ryou?" The younger boy was clearly not in the room.

Nor was Marik.

'Oh hell!' Malik was about to leave the room when he remembered Bakura.

Lifting a hand to brush Bakura's bangs from his eyes, Malik hesitated.

"Bakura?" His hand dropped back to his side. "Bakura. You idiot. Why did you do it?"

He turned to leave but Bakura's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You've already supplied the answer to your question." His voice was quiet.

"Bakura! You're alive?" Malik grabbed the yami's shoulder's. "This is great, we need to find Ryou!"

"It's no use. Ryou's gone."

"Gone? What do you- he _can't_ be gone!"

"He's gone, dead, deceased, _past fucking tense!"_

"But, I thought if the hikari died, their yami died along with them?"

"When we got our own bodies we were freed from that little rule."

"And you just stayed here and let him die! What the fuck Bakura? Why didn't you help him?"

Bakura's voice was barely a growl. "Go to hell Malik."

"No! I can't believe you left your own _hikari_ to that MONSTER!"

"That monster is _your _yamiMalik! Maybe you should keep a better check on him!"

"You know I have no chance against him Bakura! The only person that ever could handle him is you! But you did nothing!"

"What could I do? Answer me that! I couldn't protect him. I can't even manage to _fucking DIE_ properly!"

Malik stepped back. This self-loathing just wasn't like Bakura. Bakura _never_ accepted defeat.

"Bakura? Don't tell me you're giving up?"

"So what if I am? It's not like I can do anything now anyway. Ryou's already dead."

"Bakura."

"Just get the hell out of here Malik! Leave me alone!"

"But I want to help."

Bakura looked at him now, his eyes burning with anger. "You really want to help?"

"Of course."

"Then take that Rod of yours and kill me."

Malik's eyes widened. "What?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"You heard me. Kill me."

"But I- Bakura are you crazy?"

Bakura's face wore its trademark smirk. "Hell yes."

Malik stood there, expressionless. His mind reeled.

Ryou was dead, killed by Marik and now god knows where. Bakura had given up and was now asking him to kill him. What can a guy possibly say to _that?_

"Malik, either kill me or get out of here."

"But Bakura-"

"No Malik! Death is the only thing left for me now. I've lived too long already, I've had enough of this failed existence. I just want out."

Malik lifted the hand holding the Millennium Rod and stared at it. Could he really do this?

"I don't want you to go." He muttered.

"What?" Bakura was staring at him.

Malik closed his eyes and shouted. "I don't want you to die!" Tears began to prick at his eyes.

Bakura smirked again. "Malik, that's almost sweet of you. Now do me a favour and get it over with."

The tears began freely streaming down Malik's face. He raised the rod and screwed his eyes shut.

Bakura too closed his eyes as Malik brought the rod down, it's concealed blade sinking deep into his chest, puncturing his heart. Bakura's eyes snapped open along with his mouth as he choked on blood.

"Heh. See you in the next life Malik." The silver yami's eyes fluttered closed for the last time, his smirk still in place.

Malik, pulled the knives from Bakura's limp body, allowing the yami to fall to the ground, Malik falling to his knees beside him.

"Bakura, you, you idiot!" Malik's voice choked on his words, the tears turning to sobs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malik wiped his eyes free of tears, and arranged Bakura's body into a more relaxed position.

The young Egyptian climbed to his feet and left the room, not looking back.

He saw Bakura's final moments repeating over and over in his mind.

Finding himself back on the stairs, Malik almost slipped on a puddle of blood. Glancing behind him, he saw a trail of blood leading from the room he'd just left, to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Deciding against his better judgement to follow the trail, Malik gently pushed the bathroom door open, immediately wishing he hadn't.

Ryou lay naked in the bathtub, his legs dangling over the sides stained with dark blood, and his arms crossed over his chest, pinned in place with more small knives.

There were cuts all over his body, a large "M" carved into his chest. The shower was running, causing the bath to fill with pink water, the tub had filled and the water was now flowing freely over the bathroom floor.

Malik turned away, feeling about ready to vomit. He knew his yami was muddled in the head but he'd never though him capable of _this!_

"I'm so sorry Ryou." Malik ran from the room, charging down the stairs and out the front door.

He turned the corner to exit the alley but was faced with his yami.

Marik grinned in his usual psychotic fashion. "What's the matter Malik? Not enjpoy my exhibit?" He laughed at this.

Malik glared at the man standing before him. "You monster. How could you do that to them?"

"Do you want a simple answer or a detailed description?"

Malik shuddered and attempted to shove his way past his psychotic yami.

Marik grabbed the smaller boy's wrist, preventing escape. "Oh no, I'm not done with you yet hikari mine!"

The infuriating grin was right in Malik's face and without thinking, he launched the Millennium rod straight into Marik's eye.

Marik tore away, slamming into walls and clutching his face. He fell over a rubbish bin, landing on his chest.

Malik took this opportunity to leap at him, shrieking and stabbing him with the Millenium Rod.

Marik's attempts to fend him off were useless, Malik was too fast. Even on the rare occasions that Marik managed to push the boy off him, Malik would just jump back at him and continue his crazed stabbing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malik was still stabbing, long after Marik had ceased moving. His throat was raw from screaming and his arms were beginning to tire.

Climbing slowly to his feet, the young Egyptian turned and left the alley, shuffling along, a blank look on his blood-spattered face.

Light drops of rain began falling, turning steadily heavier, washing the blood from Malik's hair and face.

A metallic clatter rang through the street as the Millennium Rod fell to the ground, Malik falling to his knees beside it. Tears streamed down his face as he bent to the ground, his body shaking with sobs. Screams tore their way from his already raw throat. His hands tangled in his hair and tugged, causing more screams.

Spotting a nearby puddle, Malik crawled over to it, thrusting his hands into the icy water and scrubbing. Malik still rubbed, long after the puddle had turned pink and his hands their usual caramel.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! UUURGGGHHHH! WHY CAN'T I GET IT OFF? IT WON'T COME OFF! THE BLOOD! IT WON'T COME OFFFFFFF!"

The boy collapsed, screaming, onto the street, the pouring rain soaking him to the skin as he lay, crying and screaming and watching his friends dying before his eyes.

**A.N: Urrrrgh. Yeah. ^^; Lovely screwed up ending to the already screwed up fanfiction XD**

**Feel free to wish me dead or whatever. XD But **_**please**_** don't go on at me for killing off your favourite character or something equally as stupid. The fact of the matter is that these four are my favourites particularly Bakura and Yami Marik (:D) so getting pissed with me is irrelevant.**

**But anyway, hope someone enjoyed reading it :)**


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